Recently, I got a very tentative inquiry about my speaker coaching services from a woman, Sharon Hurkens, who had been burned twice in employing a speaker coach. These were disappointing and expensive let downs, so you can imagine she was gun-shy about trying again.

But after our free consultation call, Sharon felt comfortable going forward with me, and she just finished the Message Development Service. At the end, I asked her if the service had been what she hoped, and thankfully she said yes! I think there’s a lot to learn from her experiences, so I asked her to share with you. Here’s an interview in which I sent Sharon questions, and she wrote the answers.

Q:  When we did our free consultation call, you let me know you’ve had some negative speaker coaching experiences in the past that were also very expensive. What made you decide to try coaching again? 

A:  I am a Life Coach and have had success with most of my clients over the years as well as positive experiences with them, so I do believe in coaching.  It works.  That I did not do my research better before I just signed up for a $1200.00 coaching agreement with really no assistance at all, is no one’s fault but my own. 

I have been following Proverbs 31 for at least 18 months now and trust their word.  

Q: How did you feel about our experience working together? What made Next Step Speaker Services different from those other two experiences?

A:  I enjoyed my experience with Amy Carroll tremendously, she was professional yet personable.  I could relate to her with my faith and she was not from a New Age perspective where the “divine” is any god you desire him/her to be.  

Next Step Speaker services gave me hands on material and handouts which helped me to move from my current place in life.  I took a huge leap forward because of the current information Next Step uses. 

Q: What’s your next goal now that we’ve completed the Message Development Service?

After I have attended “She Speaks” Conference in July, I am going to hire Amy again either for my writing goals or to further my speaking goals. 

Q: I’m excited you’re coming to She Speaks this summer. I can’t wait to meet you in person! I know you’ve also been to SCORRE. Why do you think conferences are so valuable? What do you hope to gain from She Speaks?

A: I believe conferences are vital because there is a time to build new relationships, learn way more than I know and I will be refreshed, ready to attack whatever God has for me. 

You can “meet” Sharon on her blog at http://www.shedawayministries.com.

I am so pleased Sharon considered her investment in coaching with Next Step a success! Here are a few tips you may want to implement as you research any coaching you’re considering:

• If you are looking for true Christian coaching, ask for a statement of faith before you sign a contract. In my case, my affiliation with Proverbs 31 makes my core beliefs more clear, but the label “Christian” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.
• Discuss  expectations ahead of time and ask for a clear definition of the final product. There should be a written document or contract with all of it specifically written.
• Ask who you will be receiving the coaching from. In both of Sharon’s cases, she assumed she would receive coaching from the person who sponsored the website and was disappointed to be delegated to someone else in the business.

In case you’re now wondering, here are the answers to these questions from Next Step Speaker Services:

• Click here to read my statement of faith on my personal blog.
• Next Step Speaker Services has a contract for each service detailing the number of hours covered by the service as well as the number of personal contacts. The service descriptions contain the final product you can expect to leave with from each service. Please know that services can also be individualized, and we’ll write your expectations into a general contract.
• I do all the speaker coaching personally, so all your interactions will be with yours truly!

If you have any other questions either about speaker coaching in general or any of our services, please fill out the Request Information form, and I will contact you to schedule a time for a free phone consultation. I look forward to connecting with you personally!

Amy